Archive for the 'Environment' Category

Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger of The New Republic suggest that the green eco-friendly bubble has already burst. They conclude that this isn’t the first time an eco bubble has inflated then burst. First signs of an eco-friendly society emerged in 1969 with an industrial pollution fire on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, generating public outrage.

…these past bursts of environmentalism waxed and waned with the rise and fall of the economy. But, perhaps more significantly, the green bubbles inflated during highly polarized periods in American society and politics, often fueled by disastrously violent episodes in foreign policy.

In Santa Coloma de Gramenet, a sun-bleached working class town outside Barcelona, residents have placed 462 solar panels atop mausoleums. This creates enough power for roughly 60 homes annually.

“The best tribute we can pay to our ancestors, whatever your religion may be, is to generate clean energy for new generations. That is our leitmotif,” said Esteve Serret, director Conste-Live Energy.

The cemetery hold the remains of about 57,000 people and the solar panels cover less than 5 percent of the total surface area. They cost 720,000 euros ($900,000) to install and each year will keep about 62 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, Serret said.